Whitfield County presents millage history and budget pressures ahead of final vote

The Whitfield County Board of Commissioners opened a public hearing on Sept. 18 with a presentation on the county's tax picture and budget pressures.

Chair (speaker 1) told residents the county's millage rate peaked at about 9.56 in 2016 and currently stands at 4.6, after five board rollbacks over the past decade. The presentation showed county property tax receipts falling from about $22.8 million a decade ago to $20.4 million last year, and the chair attributed part of that drop to a voter‑approved senior exemption now estimated to cover roughly 5,500 parcels and reduce county receipts by about $1,890,000 annually.

The presenter framed the millage rate as only one component of a taxpayer's bill, noting that assessments—set by the board of assessors under state law—also changed property tax bills. He said, "We do not control the value of your home... but we can roll back the rates, and that's what we've done 5 times." (speaker 1)

County officials highlighted healthcare costs as a major driver of budget pressure: the presentation cited an approximate 266% increase in health care costs over a 10‑year period and described the county as self‑insured. The presenter said the county is roughly $1,000,000.5 over budget for the current year and projected further increases next year if current trends continue.

The chair described one structural option available to counties — an additional 1% sales tax that would reduce the county millage if approved — and said the board has until January to decide whether to pursue that path. He reiterated there would be no action on the proposal at the Sept. 18 meeting and that a final decision would come after two more public sessions.

The board asked staff to provide residents with a full list of exemptions and supplemental figures; staff agreed to distribute that information by email on request.